Everton 1-0 Manchester United: Player Ratings as Red Devils fumble in the top-four race against the struggling Toffees | Premier League 2021-22
Everton put in a spirited performance in front of a rocking Goodison Park as they beat Manchester United 1-0 in the Premier League on Saturday.
United and Everton both came into this game desperate for wins to keep their season on track at different ends of the Premier League table.
The Red Devils were going through an inconsistent run in all competitions. They have had two draws, two wins and a thumping 4-1 loss against Manchester City in their last five league matches.
Meanwhile, Everton were clutching at straws in the relegation battle with one win and four defeats in their last five games.
Manchester United started the game brightly, creating chances via some smooth passing moves from the wings. Marcus Rashford was an early threat as he forced a few saves from Jordan Pickford in the Everton goal. England's No. 1 put in a fantastic shift in goal, using his athleticism and reflexes to keep United at bay.
Everton started slowly but clawed their way into the game and looked composed by the halfway mark of the first half. They were rewarded for their persistence as Richarlison played the ball in from the left which was flicked into Anthony Gordon's path by Alex Iwobi. The young Evertonian applied the finish which was deflected in via Harry Maguire to give the home side a 1-0 lead.
The Toffees threatened Manchester United's defensive third a few more times as the game progressed. Pickford, on the other end, shut up shop well, supported by his defenders. United failed to create any significant chances and failed to equalize, going into the break trailing 1-0.
HALF-TIME Everton 1-0 Man Utd
The Toffees lead at the break with Anthony Gordon’s goal the difference on Merseyside
#EVEMUN https://t.co/yjnPskgqCs
Manchester United looked to take the game by scruff of the neck after the restart. They looked to capitalize on the fact that Everton were ready to sit deep and defend with a low block.
However, the home side looked well-organized and seemed to find a second wind thanks to the raucous atmosphere at Goodison Park. The Toffees did well to thwart most of United's attacks before they could put the ball in dangerous areas into the box. With the away side throwing bodies ahead, Everton did extremely well to hold shape and keep their discipline.
United looked visibly frustrated and Ralf Rangnick made a few changes to shuffle the pack slightly in the 64th minute. He brought on Anthony Elanga and Juan Mata for Marcus Rashford and Nemanja Matic.
Their different approaches were all dealt with well by a spirited Everton side, who held on with teeth and nails to secure a massive win for them. The Merseysiders have now opened up a four-point gap between themselves and the relegation zone.
United, on the other hand, are three points off fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur and fifth-placed Arsenal. The Red Devils have played one and two more games than both teams respectively.
With that said, let's take a look at the player ratings from today's contest.
Manchester United Player Ratings
David De Gea - 6/10
Did a routinely brave and secure job in United's goal. The Spaniard was caught in no man's land for Everton's first goal, with Gordon's shot taking a deflection off Maguire. Made a few athletic saves to prevent conceding any more goals. Overall a decent performance.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka - 5/10
Looked sharp from the start and was lively running up and down the right wing to offer support in attack. Wan-Bissaka looked composed in defense and made some key slide tackles to break down opposition attacks to start with.
The referee's leniency favored him at times, with a few over-enthusiatic and mistimed challenges being overlooked. However, his intensity dropped sharply and it showed in his lethargic trackback of Richarlison in the build-up to Everton's goal.
Victor Lindelof - 5.5/10
An average performance in the center of United's defense for the big Swede. Did well to win aerial duels and helped keep the ball moving to avoid being pinned down by Everton's press.
Harry Maguire - 4/10
The English defender started smoothly but things soon went south. He started being caught out of position often. He was also responsible for the wicked deflection that took Anthony Gordon's strike away from De Gea for Everton's first goal. For a captain to be putting their own team in tough spots so consistently is extremely unsettling.
Alphonso Davies on Harry Maguire 😶 https://t.co/FBaQPcVhOb
Alex Telles - 6/10
Played well on the left side of Manchester United's defense. His forward runs were crucial to his side's game plan as the Brazilian played several crosses into the box. Telles was on set-piece duty as well, but his teammates failed to get into good enough positions to put anything of the end of them.
Fred - 4.5/10
The resurgent Brazilian came into the game on the back of some wonderful performances in the heart of Manchester United's midfield. However, Fred was not able to impose himself well in this game, making basic contributions. He was subbed off and replaced by Paul Pogba in the 36th minute after complaining about a groin injury.
Nemanja Matic - 5.5/10
The aging destroyer looked in fine fettle at the very start. However, as Everton settled into the game and committed more bodies ahead, Matic struggled to deal with overload and slowly dropped off the pace. His reach made it easy for him to make interceptions in midfield. Matic was replaced by Juan Mata in the 64th minute.
Marcus Rashford - 7/10
Started the game brightly and made some lovely runs into the box behind defenders. Forced a few early saves from Jordan Pickford to help put the Toffees under pressure. The Englishman utilized his pace well to pull opposition markers out of position to carve out space. However, his inconsistency in output mirrored what the whole squad struggled with and will hope to address it soon.
Bruno Fernandes - 6/10
With every passing game, the Portuguese playmaker's role in this Manchester United side looks increasingly vague. His passing, attacking initiatives and creativity seem to be waning and his focus is shifting towards complaining about incidents in the game.
Showed glimpses of his brilliance with a few lovely lofted passes. But for a player of his caliber, it was a very average performance against the Toffees.
Jadon Sancho - 6.5/10
Sancho looked sharp and played with intent on Manchester United's wings. His dribbles and movement caused all sorts of issues for Everton's defenders. However, key aspects such as weight and timing of a pass were off the mark. He also missed a few opportunities to put his teammates through on goal.
Cristiano Ronaldo - 4.5/10
Looked lethargic while running and did not make any dangerous runs behind the defenders. Pressed Everton's midfielders a few times but a lack of organization among other teammates meant it did not result in anything for Manchester United.
He barely threatened Pickford in goal tonight and by his standards, a dull outing. To top that off, his frustration got the best of him as Ronaldo received a yellow card for kicking the ball in frustration at the dying embers.
7th in the Premier League
🔻 7th in the Premier League
🔻 Three points behind 4th spot
🔻 One win in last seven games
The struggle is real for Manchester United 😣 https://t.co/lALZsayCCP
Manchester United Substitutes
Paul Pogba - 5/10
The Frenchman was brought into the game in the first half by Ralf Rangnick to replace the injured Fred. He looked off the pace and made a few poor decisions. Pogba was shown a yellow card in the second half for a very clumsy trip on goalscorer Gordon right in front of referee Jon Moss.
Juan Mata - 6.5/10
The diminutive Spaniard looked sharp after coming on in the 64th minute. He combined well with Telles and Sancho on Manchester United's left wing to engineer a few openings for his side. But with age catching up, Mata was not able to prove as effective as he once used to be in the Premier League.
Anthony Elanga - 5/10
Elanga came on in the 64th minute to replace Marcus Rashford, who was United's only serious threat until then. A mixed performance from the youngster tonight - multiple levels below what he has shown fans in the past.